First look: Capital City Gastropub

New owners Daniel Silver and Adam Baker have wholly transformed Capital City Gastropub in Albany, which reopened Thursday after almost two months of renovations. Photos below. Kitchen hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday. The gastropub is located at 261 New Scotland Ave.

The interior now has about six to eight more seats, some seating in reclaimed church pews, a ceiling about six feet higher and a second bathroom.

The mirror-and-shelves unit behind the beer taps is from the former Mahar’s beer bar in Albany.

Albany artist Chip Fasciana designed and fabricated the bar top, which includes labels from beer kegs and maps and photos from old books.

Jeez… Sorry I think it’s too bright in there and that it throws off the atmosphere… It’s my opinion… Oh yeah, I forgot …. We can’t have anything other than a super ultra positive opinion on Table Hopping. Sorry to offend your holiness.

I completely agree. I really like the place, the food is good, the owners are nice, but the fluorescent light emitting from the kitchen is distracting. Fluorescent lighting is for big box stores not restaurants. I hope they consider closing off the kitchen.

The ambiance is finally starting to catch up to the food! Hats off to these owners for really going the extra mile to create a more interesting space befitting of their dedication. It’s truly a neighborhood gem!

Wow, people love to bitch. Folks complained that the old decor was shabby (which it was). So the new owners close for months to make it look gorgeous, with lots of quirky touches by local artists, and re-purposed items from other beloved Albany establishments, and whoa, SHOCKER, people are already whining about it without even stepping foot in there. The place it great, the food is great, and now it’s beautiful too. Great job guys: don’t listen to these huckleberries.

The new place looks amazing! Can’t wait to check it out in person! Just one question…why no mention of the Albany artist who designed, built, and hung the new signs up? I’m sure he put just as much time and effort into it. Just saying.

Since you obviously know, why didn’t you mention the name of the sign artist rather than criticizing my lack of doing so? This was a perfect opportunity to contribute instead of merely complaining. “Just saying.”

I had dinner on Friday Night, the place looked great and the food was super. Best option in the neighborhood.
One issue with the redesign that management needs to address.
If you are sitting in the booth you are about a foot lower than other parties at your table. I felt like I was a little kid and wasn’t that comfortable during dinner. (maybe new chairs or tables are on order) The ergonomics of the table to the booth were a little off. Things like this mean a lot when you are trying to attract a classy crowd.

JP…. You dare criticize the gastropub on Table Hopping? You must not know the rules… If you don’t like something just lie about it. All these Smallbany socialites can’t handle all your negative energy.

I agree JP, I ate their last night (I have a church pew seat also). Great food, looks great, but the table layout needs to be addressed too. It seemed like the tables were very close and there was some wasted space. Also, the acoustics could be a little better as well, we could hear a lot of what was going on in the kitchen and could not hear the music at all (which in my prior visits was great “dinner music”). Anyway, its a new set up, I’m sure they will iron out any issues and I will be back there for sure.

We had a great meal there on Friday night, and we really enjoyed chatting with our “neighbors” at the communal table in the middle. The food was great, we found a couple new favorite beers, and we liked the new vibe. A great upgrade in the neighborhood.

My sense of prices is that the menu has moved higher end – there are more higher priced things than there used to be. I didn’t notice higher prices for the returning items, but truth be told I’m not sure if I would have noticed.

I love the food there and stopped in last night to check out the new place. I was disappointed because it was so loud. I needed to have a conversation with the person I was with so we left. I will go back sometime when I don’t need to hear what people are saying to me.